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Noma Chef plans new culinary academy

A former Chef at Noma has announced plans to open a new academy to prepare young people for a career in the hospitality industry and help them find catering jobs.

As well as working at the two Michelin-starred Noma, which was recently voted the world’s best restaurant, Damian Wawrzyniak has also previously held the role of Sous Chef at The Priory and is the Owner of Fine Art of Dining.

His new project, called the City of London Culinary Academy, is set to open next year and has been established to help people improve their Chef skills and learn about classic cuisine.

Wawrzyniak will take on the title of Head of the Academy and has personally designed all of the class modules, while students will also be taught about sharpening knifes, the history of modern cooking and how to refine their palate.

Lecturers from leading schools across the globe will offer tips to attendees who will be offered both long and short-term courses, with the best students winning the chance to complete their training at a top British restaurant alongside some of the country’s best Chefs.

Explaining the project, Wawrzyniak said: “Incorporated into the curriculum is a fascinating History of Cuisine module which delves into the origins of cooking and the techniques that were used thousands of years ago. Students will gain an enhanced knowledge of gastronomic history, learn about the historical significance of certain ingredients and explore the ways in which the culinary past has shaped the face of contemporary cuisine.”

Some of the academy’s best graduates may go on to work in chefs jobs at high-profile restaurants such as The Hoi Polloi at the Ace Hotel London Shoreditch which last week appointed Simon Gregory as its new Executive Chef.

Formerly the Group Executive Chef at the Gordon Ramsay Group, Gregory will also take charge of the newly opened 7th Floor dining area and event spaces at the hotel.